Rope holder



April 26, 1938. A A. DE TEPILA ROPE HOLDER Filed Feb. 17, 1936 iii Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to rope holders. More particularly, my invention is directed to holding means correlated with one or more ropes of a Venetian blind, awning, sun-end other .screen or like gravity operative appliance settable by means of such rope or ropes to any desired position, such one or more ropes being threaded through the holding means whereby upon application of a pull manually upon such one or more ropes in proper relation to the holding means such one or more ropes are free to afford the desired setting of such gravity operative appliance and upon attainment of the desired setting movement of such one or more ropes transverse to their stated free movement my holding means immediately and positively retains such one or more ropes at the desired setting.

An especial feature of my holding means resides in what may be termed a base member arranged to be secured to a frame of a window, door or like fixed support, with which window, door or the like, the Venetian blind or like gravityoperative appliance is associated, and a set ,of mutually, hingedly related members in turn hingedly related to such base member, the one or more ropes being threaded between such set of mutually hingedly related members, whereby upon manual pull upon such rope or ropes, in the direction of extension of the rope or ropes portions from the holding means to such gravity operative appliance, the rope or ropes are free to be set at any: position either by further pull in the said freeing direction or in the reverse direction while under such pull, and upon attainment of the desired setting, movement of the rope or ropes in direction normal ,to the stated freeing direction, such mutually hingedly related members swing relative to such base member and under the stress exerted by the blind or like gravity operative appliance positively clamp the therebetween interposed rope or ropes.

In commercial embodiments of my invention, I provide further sheave means about which such ;rope or ropes pass, usually in direction transverse to the direction of the portions of such rope or ropes extending to the holding means, such sheave means being unitarily mounted on such base member. If desired and as preferred,

my holding means is equipped with an attachmerit carried by such base member, serving, as in the shipment, storage, etc..of the Venetian blind or the like to retain the same in collapsed status.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detail description and, the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a detail side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my rope holder, shown in side elevation in association with an appliance of the nature of a Venetian blind. This view illustrates the indicated ropes in free status for setting.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, normal to that of Fig. l, of my rope holder. This view illustrates the indicated ropes in full outline in free status for setting and in dot and dash outline in clamped position.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of certain essential parts of my rope holder.

Referring to the drawing, my rope holder com prises in essentials a base member ID relative to which is hingedly mounted a set of mutually hingedly related members I I, I2. The base member I is suitably secured in fixed position, referred to more fully hereinafter.

Preferably, the hinge intermounting of the stated members is had by pivot lugs and apertured ears; Illa, Illa, designate such apertured ears of the base member I I], which are readily produced from suitable metal by blanking and forming.

The cooperating pivot lugs of the member II are designated Ila, Ila. The pivot lugs of the member l2 are designated I2a, I2a. Pivot bearings IIb, lib in the member II for cooperation with the pivot lugs I 2a, I 20!. of the member I2, are advantageously provided in the side ears I I0, I I0, of the member II.

I3, I3, represent in this instance, two ropes of the indicated Venetian blind, the top bar of which is shown at I4. Such top bar I4 is stationarily or fixedly supported, as by bracket, hook suspension or other usual means, in suitable relation to the frame of a window, door, porch standards, etc., to afford operation under gravity of the blind, awning or the like in desired relation to the opening of the window, door, porch, etc.

In such or kindred association, I prefer to attach my holder means unitarily to the Venetian blind, in which unitary association, the base member is stationarily supported, as by securement to such top bar I4, as by the intermediation of a bracket I5, secured by rivet or the like at I5a to such bar I4, and by rivet or the like at I5b to one pivot ear Illa of the base member ill.

Clamping relation between the clamp effective portion lid of the member II and therewith cooperating clamp effective portion I2c of the member I2 and therope or ropes I3, interposed between such clamp effective portions (1 and I20, i. e., by threading such rope or ropes therebetween, is optimally had by orienting such clamping effective portions Md and I 20 to make a proper angle, usually greater than forty-five angular degrees and less than ninety angular degrees, optimally about sixty angular degrees, with one another when in clamping engagement with such rope or ropes I3, as appears from the comparative positions of these parts as shown in full outline and in dot and dash outline in Fig. 2, and also as is shown in exploded perspective view in Fig. 3. In such or equivalent relationship, any increase of stress exerted through the rope or ropes I3 increases the angle of bite exercised mutually by the stated clamp effective portions I Id, I2c, upon such rope or ropes I3.

Such mutually hinged relation between the respective members I0, I I, I2, see Fig. 2, upon manually applied pull, indicated by the arrow I6- upon the rope or ropes I3, affords full freedom of movement, such rope or ropes I3 either manually pulled in continued direction of the arrow I6, thus elevating the Venetian blind, awning or the like, or full freedom of movement in direction reverse of that indicated by the arrow I6, while the rope or ropes I3 are held manually sufficiently to keep such rope or ropes taut, and, also, upon manually swinging the rope or ropes in the arcuate direction indicated by the arcuate arrow H, see Fig. 2, and release of the rope or ropes I3, the mutual clamping relationship of the clamping portions Nd and I20 with respect to the therebetween interposed rope or ropes I3 is automatically restored and is positively effected and effective.

Subsequent re-setting of the Venetian blind, awning or the like, is had by manual pull upon the rope or ropes I3 in direction reverse to that indicated by the arrow I'I, whereupon the above operation of setting in direction either that of the arrow IE or reverse, is repeated.

As above indicated, I prefer to associate my holder means unitarily with the structure of the Venetian blind or the like, to which objective, as shown in the drawing, I provide the extension I8 of the base member ID, to mount the usual sheave I9 over which the rope or ropes I3 pass. Advantageously, such extension I8 is further extended laterally, see IBa, IBb, to form a housing for such sheave I9.

It will be observed that the stated preferred manner of hinged relationship between the member I and the member I I, and between the member II and the member I2 obviates the presence of any pin serving as an interconnecting hinge element and provides unobstructed clearances between the stated sets of hinged elements I0, I I, I2, through which clearances the rope or ropes I3 pass without friction or other obstruction.

The above or equivalent construction is advantageous, in that the members II and I2, like the member I0, may be produced economically from suitable metal by blanking and forming.

Desirably, as for association with a Venetian blind, I provide further means for retaining the blind in collapsed status, as when the blind has been installed and is raised to fully closed position, to be retained in such position, or when being shipped or when being stored, or the like.

To such or other end, I provide the slot 20, having a slightly upwardly extending arcuate lower edge 20a, such slot 20 being open ended, as indicated at 20b, to receive the usual pin or like horizontally extending element or portion attached to or a part of the lowermost slat or movable part of the blind, with which slot 20 cooperates a gravity-acting, retaining lock member 2|, pivoted upwardly at 2Ia and provided with an open ended slot 2Ib, such pin being mutually passed through the stated open ends of the said slots 20, 2 la, the arcuate edge 20a upon which such pin rests under weight of the blind structure, but which may be released from looking relation by manual pull to ride over such arcuate edge 20a.

Advantageously, as shown, the member I2 has an effective length less than that of member II, whereby in coaction with the appreciable diameter and limited pliability of rope employed for Venetian blinds, awnings and the like, the mutually angularly related portions I Id, I2c, function to effectively grip and clamp the rope under the stated clamping condition. Such clamping action is facilitated by the portion of the rope extending below the mutually angularly related portions IId, I 20, which rope portion under action of its weight gives rise to an abrupt bend in the rope about the angular portion I Id of the member II, which it will be noted, is located beyond the member I 2 and the base member II]. Increase of stress of the rope above my rope holder, therefore, tends to elevate the angular portions IId, I20, and thus increase the angle of bend referred to, resulting in increase of bite upon the rope by the clamping, angular portions IId, I20.

As appears from the herein disclosure, the portion IId of the member II is connected at the respective ends of the longitudinal portions Ilc, I I0, and extends transversely to the longitudinal portions I I0. Preferably, as also appears, the portion IId extends at an angle other than normal (i. e., at a right angle) to the direction of length of the member II, such angle of extension of the portion IId relative to the direction of length of the member II being selected with relation to the position of the portion I2c of the member I2 and the effective diameter of the rope or ropes I3 to attain the range of angle of bite therewith,when the stated parts are in rope clamping status, as herein above more particularly set forth.

Whereas, I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A self-contained rope holder fixture for Venetian blinds and the like, comprising a stamped sheet metal base having a U-shaped portion at its upper part, a sheave carried by said upper part, lugs extending parallel to the sheave axis near the lower part of said base, a U-shaped member pivotally mounted in the lugs of said base member below said sheave, said last member comprising mutually spaced longitudinal portions and an interconnecting transverse portion at their outer ends, a second U-shaped member comprising two parallel longitudinal portions and a transverse portion connecting the outer ends thereof, said transverse portion being convexly formed on its inner face, said last member having an effective length less than the said first U-shaped member, the inner ends of said longitudinal portions being pivotally mounted in the longitudinal portions of the first U-shaped member whereby one edge of said convexly formed interconnecting transverse portion of the second U-shaped member is substantially adjacent to one edge of the interconnecting transverse portion of the first U- shaped member, said sheave means being disposed with respect to members to locate a rope passing thereabout slightly to one side of a line between the sheave and the pivots of said first 5 mentioned U-shaped member, thence under the convexly formed transverse portion of the second U-shaped member and over the outer edge of the transverse portion of the first U-shaped member whereby any pull exerted on the rope in an upward direction will cause the rope to be gripped between the adjacent edges of the transverse portions of both of said U-shaped members.

ANNE DE TEPLA. 

